Juvenile Crimes Archives

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

Florida has a state law that aims to prevent teens under 16 from being out in public places late at night. These laws are generally intended to protect teens' safety as well as cut down on petty crimes. The Florida curfew bars minors from being out in public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. between Sundays and Thursdays except in the case of legal holidays.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, there's been a large increase in the number of juveniles arrested for weapon possession in the last five years. This statistic seems to coincide with the increase in gun violence committed by and targeted at teenagers. Both mass shootings and incidents between gangs are major problems in the state.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Friday, October 19, 2018.

Multiple cases of teenage boys heading to court after threatening their schools have occurred throughout Florida. A 13-year-old from Silver Trail Middle School in Fort Lauderdale now faces a second-degree felony charge after mentioning in class on Oct. 4 that he wished he could shoot up his school. That statement caused his teacher to report him to the police officer on duty at the school.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Thursday, July 5, 2018.

Individuals under the age of 21 in Florida are subject to "zero tolerance" alcohol laws. In addition to not being allowed to possess or consume alcohol, they are not permitted to drive with a blood alcohol content higher than .02 percent. This is lower than the .08 percent legal limit that drivers 21 and over are subject to. In fact, drivers under 21 can be charged with a DUI even if they don't feel or appear to be drunk.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

On March 19, a 16-year-old Florida teen was accused of murder after he allegedly beat his 15-year-old friend with a baseball bat. Although the accused teen initially claimed that the 15-year-old attacked him first, it was reported that he eventually admitted that the deceased teen never hit him.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Friday, August 4, 2017.

In Florida, some juveniles who are charged with serious crimes are tried as adults. In some cases, juveniles have been sentenced to life sentences without the possibility of parole. The federal government has reviewed tough sentencing of juveniles and has made some changes following two Supreme Court decisions. This means that juveniles who have received life without parole sentences may request that those sentences be reviewed.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Friday, June 2, 2017.

Minors in Florida who are charged with certain types of felony offenses may be eligible to enter into a special pretrial intervention program in lieu of adjudication. The program may offer a way for juveniles to avoid adjudication on their charges while also allowing them to get the help that they need.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Wednesday, April 12, 2017.

The Florida state legislature is considering two different ideas that could potentially help keep juveniles who make mistakes from getting into legal trouble. Both of the bills would help minors who commit their first misdemeanor crime by getting them into diversion programs.

On behalf of Andy Coffey of Andrew M. Coffey, P.A. posted in Juvenile Crimes on Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

According to news sources, three teens have been taken into custody in relation to the death of a 15-year-old Florida boy. The boy was reportedly found lying on the ground in a park in Winter Park, Florida on Oct. 15 with few signs of trauma.

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Andrew M. Coffey has been recognized as a Board Certified Civil Trial lawyer by the Florida Bar. Certification is the highest level of recognition by The Florida Bar of the competency and experience of attorneys in the areas of law approved for certification by the Supreme Court of Florida.